On the other hand, as members of religious communities become acquainted with gay, lesbian and bisexual people in their workplaces, social circles and families, many of them begin to feel the gap between their lived experience and the official line articulated by their leadership. This may mean that a church, congregation, synagogue &c. which officially disapproves of homosexuality is actually more welcoming at an unofficial level.

At the more "official" level too, leaders and theologians in many churches and faiths have been re-examining their own traditions and seeking to articulate them in a way which recognises and affirms homosexuality as a gift of God with its own potential for love, creativity and fulfilment.

Reconciling religious faith with an affirming approach toward homosexuality is often not an easy business, but many of those who have tried it have found their faith and their understanding of their own sexuality enriched as a consequence.

Below is some information on organisations and material which may be of help to you wherever you are on the journey...

Information on links and groups not listed here will be gratefully received by Nick Thompson at: nigethepige [at] gmail.com

Local Contacts:

• All Saints Anglican Church in Dunedin North

Reconciling Congregations in Dunedin:
ARCC (The Association of Reconciling Christians and Congregations) lists the following congregations in Dunedin:

• Broad Bay (Methodist), Dunedin
  
• Glenaven (Methodist), North East Valley, Dunedin
  
• Knox (Presbyterian), Dunedin
  
• Mornington (Methodist), Dunedin
  
• The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
  

• Make a public statement welcoming all people regardless of sexual orientation, to participate fully in its congregational life;
  
• Promote reconciliation for gay men, bisexuals, transsexuals and lesbians in church and society;
  
• Minister to and with bisexuals, transsexuals, lesbians and gay men.
  

Ascent:
Ascent is a Catholic/Ecumenical group for lgbt people and their friends. Meetings are held monthly. There are also fortnightly coffee evenings. Ascent can be contacted at P.O. Box 5328, Dunedin.

Student Christian Movement Aotearoa
There is usually a group at Otago University. SCM is "a place for Liberal Christians to work with other liberal and radical people for justice in our society and our churches. It is also a safe place to be bisexual, lesbian, gay heterosexual and/or transgendered as well as Christian." They have an excellent Queer Christianity Site.

Books:

Alexander, Marilyn Bennett & James Preston. We Were Baptised Too: Claiming God's Grace for Lesbians and Gays. Westminster/John Knox Press, 1996.
With an important foreword my Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Alison, James. Faith beyond Resentment. London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 2001. Each chapter is an extended meditation on a passage from the Gospels. This book, by a gay British theologian, tries to get beyond the "victim" theology of earlier gay theologians by showing what theology done by lgbt people has to offer the wider church. In doing so Alison encourage lgbt people to take their place in the mainstream churches without waiting for it to be offered to them by the church authorities.

Brash, Alan. Facing our Differences. WCC Publications, 1995.
New Zealand author addresses position of gay and lesbian people in the churches.

Duncan, Geoffrey, ed. The Courage to Love. London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 2002. An international collection of liturgies, prayers and reflections for lgbt people and communities with lgbt people in them. Some of the prayers and reflections have been contributed by Dunediners.

Galloway, Kathy, ed. Dreaming of Eden: Reflections on Christianity and Sexuality. Glasgow: Wild Goose Publications, 1997.
Essays on sexuality from the Iona Community, an ecumenical Christian community based in Glasgow, Scotland.

Grammick, Jeannine & Robert Nugent. Voices of Hope: A Collection of Positive Catholic Writings on Gay and Lesbian Issues. Center for Homophobia Education, 1995.

Kelly, Kevin T. New Directions in Sexual Ethics: Moral Theology and the Challenge of Aids. London: Chapman, 1998.
An excellent book by a British Roman Catholic moral theologian. Calls for a re-examination of the whole Christian sexual ethic. Includes discussion of homosexuality. Summarises and discusses positions taken by the various churches in Britain, U.S.A. and elsewhere.

Shinnick, Maurice. This Remarkable Gift: Being Gay and Catholic. St. Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin, 1997.
By a Priest in the Catholic Diocese of Adelaide. Based on his experience of ministry in the gay and lesbian community.

Stuart, Elizabeth and Adrian Thatcher. Christian Perspectives on Sexuality and Gender. Gracewing Press, 1995.

Switzer, David K. Coming Out as Parents: You and your Homosexual Child. Westminster/John Knox Press, 1996.

Links:

Alfatiha Foundation
Resources for Muslim lgbt people

Buddhist Resources
Articles; bibliography; links

Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities
Useful links to various documents and sites (e.g. on gay marriage in Canada). Very good resources for families. Despite title, not just Catholic or even religious.

Gay and Lesbian Catholicism
Contrary to what the title suggests, this site contains links not only to Catholic sites but also to sites for other Christian denominations as well as other religions. Also contains links to Vatican documents on homosexuality (not for the faint hearted!)

Parents of Jewish Gays and Lesbians
U.K. organisation for Parents of Jewish Gays and Lesbians

Presbyterian Parents of Gays and Lesbians
U.S. site

Whosoever
An online magazine for lgbt Christians

World Congress of Gay and Lesbian Jewish Organisations
Represents 65 Jewish organisations throughout Europe, North America, Australia and the Middle East.

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